Associated Press Photo
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Sports Network) - For the third time in four games, D.J. Harper rushed for two touchdowns to lead the No. 21 Boise State Broncos to a 45-14 win over Wyoming on Saturday.
Harper finished with 105 yards on 19 carries while Jay Ajayi and Shane Williams-Rhodes each added a rushing score for the Broncos (7-1, 4-0 MWC), who have won seven straight games since dropping the season opener to Michigan State.
Joe Southwick was 20-for-28 for 198 yards and an interception, while Grant Hedrick added a rushing touchdown in the victory.
Brett Smith completed 24-of-35 passes for 216 yards and also rushed for a pair of scores for the Cowboys (1-7, 0-4), who have dropped four in a row since a Sept. 22 win over Idaho.
After blocking Stuart Williams' 29-yard field-goal attempt on the game's opening possession, the Broncos drove 88 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead, capped off with Harper's 8-yard rush for a score.
The Cowboys countered with a 15-play, 70-yard trek that bridged the first and second quarters to knot the game at 7-7. Smith's 12-yard pass to Brandon Miller put Wyoming on the Boise State 5-yard line, and two plays later the quarterback ran it in himself from four yards out.
Michael Frisina's 29-yard field goal on the ensuing possession gave Boise State a 10-7 advantage before Harper added his second rushing score of the game with a 9-yard dash around the right end to put the Broncos up 17-7.
Williams-Rhodes broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half to push Boise's spread to 24-7.
Later in the third quarter, Corey Bell returned Smith's fumble 22 yards for a touchdown and Hedrick punched it in from two yards out to give the Broncos a commanding 38-7 advantage.
Smith's 23-yard rush with 13 minutes to play in the fourth quarter pulled the Cowboys within 38-14, but that was all for the hosts.
Dallas Burroughs' 37-yard kickoff return set Boise State up with excellent field position on the ensuing possession and, six plays later, Ajayi scampered into the end zone from 15 yards out to account for the final margin.